Now I'm a huge TNA fan and I really want to see them go the extra mile and hopefully beat WWE in the ratings but I'm getting so worn down by the booking mistakes in the past year and this year.
I thought I would go over the main mistakes and how TNA could have resolved them.

1) The Bobby Roode/James Storm feud

This should have climaxed in a BIG feud match over the world title between the pair on PPV. Should have been match of the year, instead TNA dropped the ball over it and let it peeter out. Of course they both had matches between each other over last year, but no where near as BIG as the world title match between the pair which Storm should have won to end the feud.

2) The use of AJ Styles over the past year.

Where to start, his affair with Dixie, being drugged by a fan, exposure of pictures. AJ has not been used correctly full stop.We no longer need more matches with Daniels.
Should have been used in the Devon role in Aces and 8s (Opportunity missed by TNA)

3) Neglect of X-Division

AA pulled the X-Division back where it should have been, now it is a retirement home for RVD. Sad end for the championship

4) Aces and 8s

What TNA did correctly.

Bring in a mysterious masked faction attacking members of TNA for unkown reason

What TNA did incorrectly

1) Present faction as Jobbers
2) Have them beat up each and every week
3) Reveal Devon, Doc and Mike Knox as members
4) Ruin angle by all 3 above.

5) Sting

Now I'm a big Sting fan, but again due to his age it is unrealistic for him to take apart the entire Aces and 8s roster in the last impact.

6) Wes Brisco and Garrett Bischoff

Every single angle these 2 have appeared in they have destroyed, lack of wrestling ability, chemistry and crowd reaction.

Now I'm no idea who is booking TNA at the moment, but they need to do it as if they are writing a book. At the moment it seems like TNA have no storyline plan from week to week. Madness.

Diesel_Power

01-05-2013 07:01 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

The OP is a absolutely 100% correct post. Well done.

For me the main problem is TNA failing to realise when something isn't working. Whether its Claire Lynch, Aces and 8s, Garrett Bischoff, the dumb cape Matt Morgan is wearing. They seem to drag it out until we see it die horribly rather than think of something new and start over.

shandcraig

01-05-2013 07:09 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

16 Attachment(s)

I agree on a lot of that.

X- Division is about to get really good. Why not give RVD one more belt run.Hes clearly out the door from the company sooner then later. York is clearly going to win the belt. Hes bigger to which kinda changes up the belt vibe.So its not just for light weights.

We are about to get that x-travaganza 3 hour x-division special. Probably going to bring in new talent as well. Ultimate x and x-scape match.

Good things for it will come. X belt should be treated more like the world title.When its only on the line at bigger events. I love the idea of a TV belt but that design is so bad. They need to make the belt be a consistently defended belt for every tv event. TV constantly defended belt could gain its own legacy.Imagine having to defend it every week and going on to holding it for ages.

If they cant figure it out with that. Just strap it and bring in Impact Championship Belt.

Uhtred

01-05-2013 07:21 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

It seems like TNA bookers/writers are so pigheaded that they will hammer an angle on the head if it isnot working.
They carry on down the same path and seem unable to correct the course the angle is on. *Appalling when you consider the top names they have in TNA booking the angles*.

Why on earth they went down the Dixie/AJ angles and then when we all hoped this angle was finishing they decided to add Clare Lynch to the storyline I will never know.
The damage they did to AJ Styles during this 2 angles was immense.

Sting and Hogan are both legends but no way should they both be beating up younger members of the roster or Aces and 8s.
Sting and Hogan both have credibility that will never be diminished however the younger guys being defeated by OAPS damaged any credability or career they may have in wrestling (Same with RVD to a lesser extent).

Gutcheck - awful concept, it is scripted but if you give a wrestler a contract then at least build him up on the show (Apart from Christian York, hardly any Gutcheck winner has wrestled on the show). It is using up TV time which could be focused on future stars ie Magnus, Jesse G etc.

While i'm talking about Jesse G, why pair him up with Tara TNA? Jesse has more talent than other rookies ie Garrett Bischoff, Gunner, Crimson and Wes Brisco, and you give him the worst angle ever, being Tara's bf. This guy can talk, wrestle has main stream exposure from Big Brother. Give him an unbeaten streak and the TV title to get him over (Not his current angle).

What I would like to see in 2013.

If Aces and 8s are to succeed then they need 2 proven TNA wrestlers to join them. James Storm and AJ Styles are a must, even Jeff Jarrett would improve them.

The championship scene.

Jeff Hardy needs removing as champion ASAP, no charisma, can't act to save his life. Give the belt back to AA or Roode
X-Division - Remove RVD, give belt to Kenny King
TV Title - what is the point of Devon having this belt, this belt should be for a young up and coming wrestler to gain experience. Jesse G or Magnus.

Tag titles - Has to be Bad Influence or the the 2 Robbies,

Riot

01-05-2013 08:18 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

I dont think TNA misused AJ at all. He is arguably the face of the company, and they spent all last year shitting on him. Time after time again, his kindness was taken for granted and his integrity was questioned, even by the fans. This may be one of the few heel turns where a wrestler ca blame the fans and actually have it make sense.

As for Aces and Eights, its just ridiculous for multiple reasons.
- In the later part of the angle, before they gained access to the arena, everyone was questioning where they were coming from, even though the camera would show us the exact door they'd come from.

- Gaining access to the building somehow put them on the roster and allowed Hogan to force them into matches??? Someone please explain this to me. I thought gaining access just meant they could walk around freely instead of having to hide from security. Which still makes no sense as the leader made it clear that they could be anyone working backstage. They even had members in the crowd, without anyone figuring out who they were, after Aces and Eights were given access to the arena. Why they'd need to earn access to the arena is beyond me.

- TNA has dragged this angle on for far too long. When the original nWO formed, they took 3 - 4 weeks. Aces and Eights has to be on their sixth or seventh month now. If you're going to drag the angle on this long, people better be getting unmasked every few weeks, or the people you unmask better be somewhat credible. Thus far, Devon is the highest profile member unmasked.

Garret and Wes are very underused, especially if my huntch is right and they are a major reveal of being part of Aces and Eights. Thus far all we've seen of them is a few sloppy matches,Kurt Angle shunning their advances to help him, and Samoa Joe get angry. TNA should have them out there every week saving Kurt and Joe, watching their back, rising up the TNA ranks as a tag team. They need to be somewhat relevant in people's minds if they will be revealed.

JasonCage

01-05-2013 08:19 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

Roode/Storm ended fine, it didn't need the world title it was personal enough.

Diesel_Power

01-05-2013 08:32 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonCage
(Post 12458421)

Roode/Storm ended fine, it didn't need the world title it was personal enough.

The feud started with Roode costing him the world title. It ended with Storm beating Roode. It killed Storm as a top face. About a month later Roode got his win back in a match on Impact. Storm was made to look like a massive fucking loser for a full year. He lost the title, he lost in his home town, he lost the BFG series and he lost his title shot. He's been shown up. TNA have killed him.

TripleG

01-05-2013 09:03 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

- Hardy winning the title. I don't understand that move at all. He fucked up the last time and I don't think he was that interesting of a character when he won the title or even the BFG Series.

- Claire Lynch. Nuff said.

- Overkill of AJ & Daniels. Yes they had great matches, but goddamn it. How many fucking times do they need to do this match?

- Minimizing the divisions. They are improving on this, but throughout the year, it felt like the X, Knockouts, & Tag divisions were VERY thin overall.

JasonCage

01-05-2013 09:14 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel_Power
(Post 12458461)

The feud started with Roode costing him the world title. It ended with Storm beating Roode. It killed Storm as a top face. About a month later Roode got his win back in a match on Impact. Storm was made to look like a massive fucking loser for a full year. He lost the title, he lost in his home town, he lost the BFG series and he lost his title shot. He's been shown up. TNA have killed him.

I don't count anything past BFG, since it was hardly still a feud.

Diesel_Power

01-05-2013 09:31 PM

Re: TNA Booking mistakes 2012/2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonCage
(Post 12458562)

I don't count anything past BFG, since it was hardly still a feud.

Who said anything about the feud? The fact is Roode still beat him rendering Storms win meaningless. The question is is James Storm in a better position in January 2013 than he was in October 2011? The answer is absolutely not. a year of doing jobs and failing to get revenge has killed his character. They fucked up the feud and fucked up Storms career. They took a hugely over worker who had the potential to be a main eventer and turned him into just another guy.